Is Iowa State your home for this holiday season?

As breaks approach, many students are fortunate to head back home to see their loved ones while others are stuck celebrating the holidays at Iowa State.

For some students, cost is an issue and the hassle to catch a ride or a plane ticket is inconvenient.

Branden Bettes, a freshman in history from Alaska, runs into this issue. It would take him two days and 13 hours to drive from Ames to Alaska and for a week-long break it just is not worth the time. Moreover, affording a $200 one-way flight with a college student budget is troublesome.

“I was planning on staying at Iowa State over Thanksgiving break,” Bettes said. “Luckily, the kindness of my friend’s families is bringing me into their homes because there was no way they were going to let me stay on campus.”

Students are allowed to stay in the resident buildings over Thanksgiving break. Since all dorms and apartments are open during fall break, students can stay in their dorms. However, during winter break just the residence halls Geoffrey, Buchanan, Wallace, Wilson are open.

The Department of Residence is willing to work with students to relocate if they plan to stay over winter break, with several options for living arrangements. Services and staff are available 24/7 by contacting your regular community adviser. Students should be advised to keep their student I.D. on hand at all times because each and every exterior door will be locked.

Any students looking ahead to winter break and running into issues with living situations can contact the Department of Residence to work with to help out.

“We, the Department of Residence, encourage any and all students to reach out,” said Britney Rasmussen, a residence hall coordinator. “If you need anything let us know we are here and accessible.”

There are loads of advantages about celebrating the holidays at Iowa State. Fortunately, students will not have to worry about the community bathrooms not kept up or not cleaned. The only thing is they will be cleaned on different schedules — the afternoon instead of the morning.

“Staff will take the chance to work on things that janitorial staff do not get the chance to when students are staying on campus over break,” said Chad Bauman, a communications specialist for the Department of Residence and ISU Dining.

Yes, there is a great possibility your roommate will be going home for break, but there is no need to panic. You are not the only student left on campus.

Get in touch with students who are in the same situation as you and make your own twist on the holidays. Perhaps binge watch a marathon of holiday movies, cook up your own feast from your dorm room or have an ugly sweater party. 

The disadvantages about staying on campus over holiday breaks vary. All of the dining halls are closed over fall break. Luckily, you will not have to totally fend for yourself over break. Bookends Café, MU Market and Café, Lance and Ellie’s and Clyde’s are open earlier in the week during fall break.

Since you will have a lot of time on your hands, studying at Parks library is an option. It will be open from Monday to Wednesday during fall break and will occasionally be closed some days during winter break.